A Lesson in Buckland
by DoctorWhovian18
Summary: Frodo and Bilbo go for a visit to Buckland when Frodo is 26. Merry wants to show off his fishing skills, and the Took kids tag along. The girls aren't that fussed with fishing, and Frodo says some things he shouldn't have. There's a lesson to be learnt here. One-shot. Book-verse.


**The idea and reason for writing this fic is between me and Aria Breuer, but its something that I hope everyone will enjoy as it was very fun to write. I also think it could easily be something that actually happened. Please enjoy ^_^**

"Come on, Frodo!"

"I'm coming, Merry-lad!" Frodo called back, wondering how the ten year old's small legs carried him along so fast. Merry had been as hyper as though he'd eaten a bowl of sugar in anticipation of his and Bilbo's visit to Buckland. He had calmed down somewhat since they arrived, but still was running on the amount of energy that only a Brandybuck of his age could have.

Running along behind him, on even smaller legs, was little Pippin, who had just turned four. And crowded around him, looking rather bored, were his three sisters, who had obviously been put in charge of looking after the toddler.

Merry was leading them all down to the Brandywine, as he wanted to show off his new fishing skills. He had promised Frodo to give him a go, which Frodo was quite nervous about because he had never fished before. Despite living in Buckland for the first twenty-one years of his life, he had never bothered to pick up the skill.

Merry stumbled, but regained his feet again. Still, Frodo put on an extra burst of speed to catch him up, worried that he was going to either break the fishing rod clutched in his hand, or break a part of his body with a fall.

They could see the river now. Merry reached it first, with Frodo arriving second and the Tooks last. Frodo entrusted Pearl, mainly, to keep Pippin away from the water, while he went over to watch as Merry took out a worm from a bag and speared it with the fishing hook.

He had learned well, that much was clear. Merry expertly cast the line far out into the river, took a seat, and waited.

"Is there a fish yet?" Pippin asked immediately, running up and almost tripping in his haste.

"Not yet, Pip, I've only just put it in." Merry answered with a laugh. Then suddenly his face focussed and Frodo saw the tip of the rod bouncing up and down.

Merry jumped to his feet and begun reeling. In just a couple of minutes, he was pulling a decent-sized fish onto the grass. Grinning and lapping up the praise of Frodo and Pippin, he removed the hook and put the fish into the bucket that Frodo had brought and filled with water. The actual killing of the fish would be done by Uncle Saradoc.

"Very well done, Merry!" Frodo said for the fourth time. As it was something he couldn't do, he was impressed by it. Pearl and the twins seemed far less than impressed, and Frodo rounded on them. "Well, don't you think it was good?"

"Tooks don't fish, Frodo." Pearl answered politely. "It is a useful skill but we prefer not to bother with it."

"Not to bother with it?" Frodo snapped, a sudden annoyance striking him. He briefly wondered where it came from, but dismissed the thought. "All you bother about is who fancies you and what dresses to wear! How long did it take the three of you to get ready this morning?"

He was met with three stony glares. "That's what you think of girls? No wonder you're twenty-six with no girlfriend, then." Pimpernal snapped.

He opened his mouth to reply that he preferred books to girls any day, when Merry tapped him on the shoulder.

"Want a go, Frodo?"

He would show these girls how useful fishing is. "Sure, Merry."

He took the rod and listened carefully to his cousin's instructions on how to cast. Once Merry had re-wormed the hook, he indicated for Frodo to proceed.

Even he was surprised at how far out the line went when he cast. Grinning around at Pippin's sisters and smiling down at the toddler himself, who was staring up at him with wide-eyes, Frodo settled down to wait for a bite.

Like with Merry, it came sooner than expected. And it was a _big_ fish!

Frodo got to his feet and pulled back, trying to make the reel move, but whatever the fish was, it was incredibly strong. Frodo felt his feet slipping forwards on the soft mud near the river.

"Frodo!" Merry cried, just as the fish gave one yank and pulled Frodo off his feet, dragging him on his behind towards the water. He tried to dig his feet in, but only managed to slow just before hitting the water. The line suddenly went slack and Frodo reeled it in to find that the fish had broken it.

Grumbling angrily, he got back to his feet, only to hear laughter and barely muffled giggles behind him.

Turning, he saw all three of Pippin's sisters, plus Pippin himself, laughing their heads off and pointing at him. Merry was obviously trying very hard not to do the same as he pointedly took the rod out of Frodo's hand.

He looked down to see that he was absolutely covered in mud all down his back, and was also drenched from the knee down. The laughter hadn't stopped.

"It's bad luck to say those things about girls, Frodo!" Pearl managed to get out between giggles. "How are you going to explain that to Uncle Bilbo?"

Frodo looked down. He did feel slightly shameful and, as he thought over what he had said to Pippin's sisters, maybe it was his own fault that he was now coated in mud. He shuffled his feet, before looking back up at Pearl.

"I'm sorry. You're right, I shouldn't have said those things. I'm just…not that used to being around girls so I guess I don't understand them all too well."

Pearl stopped laughing and walked down the hill to him. Stopping directly in front of him, she said, "Ok, I believe you, you're mostly forgiven."

"Mostly?" Frodo asked apprehensively.

Pearl suddenly shoved him backwards into the water, bursting into laughter again. Once he stopped spluttering, she informed him, "Now, you're forgiven."

"Naughty Fwo." Pippin cried, which did not improve the situation.

However, Frodo had learned his lesson, and he vowed never to say anything against any female ever again.

 **I know, it was random, but funny. Review and rate, please ^_^**


End file.
